Переведено с использщованием AI
id: 60390
date: 4/13/2006 10:06
refid: 06DUSHANBE698
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
destination: 06DUSHANBE626|06KABUL1629
header:
VZCZCXRO2115
PP RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0698/01 1031006
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 131006Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7227
INFO RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 8424
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1465
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1465
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1515
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1537
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1535
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1306
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1552
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1090
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0883
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1523
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DUSHANBE 000698
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR, EB, S/P
NSC FOR MILLARD, MERKEL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, ECON, EINV, EAID, ELTN, ETRD, AF, PK, TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN’S TRANSPORTATION SECTOR: BY PLANE, TRAIN, OR
AUTOMOBILE
REF: A) DUSHANBE 0626 B) KABUL
1629
DUSHANBE 00000698 001.2 OF 003
(U) Sensitive but unclassified.
Please handle accordingly. Not
for public Internet.
1. (U) SUMMARY: Improving
Tajikistan’s air, rail, and road
transportation network supports Secretary Rice’s Infrastructure
Integration Initiative for Greater Central Asia. Creating a
cohesive transportation network passable throughout the year
decreases transportation costs and promotes trade through the
road (and partial rail) corridor from Kazakhstan to Pakistan.
The completion of the American-funded bridge in 2007 connecting
Tajikistan to Afghanistan will add additional trade momentum.
However, Tajikistan’s state-run air sector needs to be
de-monopolized, the state-run railway urgently needs management
reform and infrastructure upgrades, and maintenance and
rehabilitation needs to be increased on roadways to maximize
trade opportunities. Ensuring
official and non-official trade
barriers (such as customs and bribes) do not rise along with
increased trade is important. END
SUMMARY.
STATE-RUN AIR SECTOR MONOPOLY INCHING AHEAD
2. (SBU) Tajikistan’s air sector is dominated by inefficient
state-run Tajikistan State Airlines (TSA), and international
connectivity is limited. The
vertically-integrated company runs
all air traffic control, the four major airports, and has all
domestic flights. Service is
abysmal, the aircraft fleet
consists of dilapidated Soviet-built Tupolevs and Yaks, and
flight delays and cancellations are the norm (REFTEL A). Tajik
Air does not have a transparent ticketing, pricing or
reservation structure and bribes are often paid to ensure a seat
on a flight. Air cargo transport
is in its infancy. The first
non-Russian carrier, Turkish Airlines, entered the market in
February with a weekly flight to Istanbul. (Tajik Air also
flies internationally to Munich and Istanbul.) International
Finance Corporation economist Mathew Scanlon told PolOff on
April 6 that he had just heard that Lufthansa and Thai Airways
are interested in starting weekly flights. (COMMENT:
If true,
hallelujah! END COMMENT.)
3. (SBU) TSA is a cash cow for company and government officials,
and one of the country’s top taxpayers.
With close to one
million passengers a year, cash flow is significant and the debt
load is a «reasonable» $19 million, according to European Bank
for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) head Fernand Pillonel.
However, thanks to poor
accounting and opaque business
practices, much of the cash flow cannot be accounted for. For
example, as much as a third of the cash value of each air ticket
simply disappears. The new
limited-use VVIP hall TSA built at
Dushanbe International Airport is on the books at a construction
cost of $9 million, but experts estimate
the hall cost at most
$2-3 million. Use of the hall is
limited to international
delegations. Reported cost per
passenger for private use is
$235. Much of TSA’s profit is
carried on the backs of
Tajikistan’s estimated one million migrant workers who are
forced to use TSA for most of their travel. The new Tajik Air
Director, General Khokimsho Tilloyev, confirmed to PolOff on 20
March that 90 percent of the airline’s passenger load is to
Russia.
4. (SBU) Progress in modernizing TSA is slowly coming at the
urging of the international community.
The EBRD is at the
forefront of advocating a change, using over $10 million in
loans since 1995 for runway rehabilitations, air navigation
improvements, and fleet modernization as leverage. The entry of
Turkish Airlines into Tajikistan is a major step forward in
introducing competition, as are the now daily flights from
Russia’s Domodedova Airlines.
DUSHANBE 00000698 002.2 OF 003
5. (SBU) EBRD has offered TSA a $5 million commercial
loan for
fleet modernization to include the lease of two new aircraft and
training for up to 20 flight crews.
However, factions within
TSA oppose the loan, perhaps in part due to the international
SIPDIS
accounting standard requirements, and the government has been
slow to implement the proposed fleet modernization. The
controversial loan may not produce the intended results, noted
Pillonel, but «not doing anything is not an option.» Pillonel
stressed that moving too fast and collapsing TSA is not in the
best interest of the country, and advocated steady pressure to
reform and spin off the major components (air control, airline,
and airports) prior to any privatization plans. He observed
that technical assistance from USTDA could go towards helping
TSA create a sensible plan for separating its three enterprises.
SIPDIS
RAILWAY REFORM CRITICAL FOR TRADE
6. (U) Tajik railways are a vital
component of Tajikistan’s
trade. The World Bank estimates
95 percent of total external
tonnage and about 50 percent of seasonal workers travel to
Russia by rail. Aluminum is
carried by train to ports in
Georgia and Estonia, and cotton mainly goes to the Port of Riga
in Latvia. Annual tonnage is
approximately 12 million,
according to the Railway Department chief specialist Ishon Hujai
Rustam. In addition, until the
Anzob pass is completed next
year, rail provides the primary means for northern Tajikistan to
trade with the southern region during winter. There is a total
of 950 kilometers (km) of railroad in Tajikistan. The main
components are the northern route connecting with Uzbekistan,
the central route that loops from Uzbekistan back into
Tajikistan up to Dushanbe, and a domestic southern route that
goes from Dushanbe to Kulob. Rail
transit tariff disputes
between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan often add to the cost of
transport, and a World Bank study indicates state-run Tajik Rail
charges transit fees favoring large businesses over smaller
entrepreneurs. As Tajikistan’s
links with Afghanistan and
Pakistan grow, a rail link south would make sense, especially
with respect to cotton shipments, since the textile factories in
Pakistan are much closer than the port of Riga.
7. (U) Tajik Rail is in urgent
need of reform and requires
substantial investment for rehabilitation and modernization.
The World Bank notes Tajik Rail has seen almost no reform since
the country’s independence, and there is little transparency in
its operations. International
financial institutions have not
funded much for railroad rehabilitation, although the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) did assist in electrifying part of the
railway in the northern region.
During a March 16 meeting with
PolOff, Rustam described the poor state of the railroad system
in which most of the railway cars are reaching their expiration
date and at least 20 percent of the railway infrastructure needs
rehabilitation. The Ministry of
Transport is pushing to get the
railway from Dushanbe to Qhurgon-Teppa rebuilt, because it is
unusable due to lack of maintenance, and is looking for donors
to extend the railroad from Kolkhozobod to the border with
Afghanistan at Nizhniy Pyanzh.
There is no railroad between
Dushanbe and the northern capital Khujand.
BOOM IN ROAD, TUNNEL, BRIDGE BUILDING
8. (U) The Ministry of Transportation’s goal of providing
year-round transportation routes throughout the country by
building roads, tunnels and bridges is close to becoming
reality. Financed by a surge in
donor grants and credits, the
country could be connected year round by the end of the decade
between to all of its neighboring countries:
— The Chinese reportedly agreed this month to finance the $269
million rehabilitation of the Dushanbe-Khujand-Buston motorway
DUSHANBE 00000698 003.2 OF 003
to the Uzbek border using some of a economic credit in the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
This project also includes
building a tunnel through the Sharistan mountain pass and links
with the $40 million Anzob tunnel, making this road year-round
when complete. The tunnel is 75
percent financed by Iran.
—In 2004 the Murghab-Kalma road connecting to the Chinese
border in remote eastern Tajikistan was completed with Chinese
funding.
—The Chinese-funded $18 million Shar-Shar tunnel on the road
east, and on the way to President Rahmaon’s hometown, is
expected to be complete in 2008.
—The ADB approved at the end of 2005 additional funding to
rehabilitate a 90 km section of the main road from Dushanbe to
the Kyrgyz border, which is part of the Central Asian Highway
connecting Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and
China.
— The ADB also has funded road rehabilitation in Tajikistan’s
southern Khatlon region.
—The U.S.-funded $30 million bridge at Nizhniy Pyanzh is
scheduled to open summer 2007.
This will be an extremely
important step toward promoting trade between Tajikistan and
Afghanistan (REFTEL B), especially if the Japanese-financed
upgrade to the final road segment between Kolkhozobod and
Nizhniy Pyanzh is completed in 2007, although current
information suggests the Japanese are falling behind on this
project.
9. (U) COMMENT: If they build it
will trade come? The surge in
much-needed infrastructure upgrades is a strong incentive to
increase trading, but this depends on what the official and
unofficial transport costs become.
Tajikistan’s biggest trade
barrier is itself, because bribes are a substantial addition to
moving goods, and corruption hampers competitive
export-orientated business development.
Road, bridge, and
tunnel maintenance also will be important to truck transport.
Transport by air cargo likely will not be developed without
air-sector reform. All of these
projects are critical for
Tajikistan to have a viable economy that can support its surging
population of young people. In
the end, trade becomes a
security issue, because having hundreds of thousands of youths
unemployed in Central Asia is a sure way to breed discontent and
instability. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 60513
date: 4/14/2006 5:44
refid: 06DUSHANBE703
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
destination: 06DUSHANBE668
header:
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PP RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0703 1040544
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 140544Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7232
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1468
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1468
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1518
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1540
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1538
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1309
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1555
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1093
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0886
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1526
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 8435
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000703
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR, EB, S/P
NSC FOR MILLARD, MERKEL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, ECON, EINV, SOCI, AF, PK, TI
SUBJECT: TAJIK GOVERNMENT ENACTS HOUSEHOLD EXCESS ELECTRICITY RATE
REF: DUSHANBE 668
(U) Sensitive but unclassified.
Please handle accordingly. Not
for public Internet.
1. (U) According to media reports, the Tajik Anti-Monopoly
Committee approved on April 11 an excess electricity consumption
rate above 250 kWh per month for private households retroactive
to the beginning of April. The base electricity rate remains
the same at 0.5 cent. Per reftel,
the 0.5 cent rate is at
approximately 24 percent of the «cost recovery rate» for
Tajikistan currently to produce and distribute electricity. The
new excess electricity consumption rate of 0.9 cent is
approximately 43 percent of the cost recovery rate.
2. (U) An informal survey of Embassy local staff indicates on
average they consume 1,000 kWh per month. However, local
Embassy personnel are wealthier than the average Tajik and
likely use more electricity in their residences in general. The
250 kWh cap for the very cheap rate for power ensures that a
lower rate still is available for everyday needs in the typical
household.
3. (SBU) COMMENT: The government
kept this excess electricity
consumption rate change under wraps, despite numerous recent
meetings with PolOff on the very subject, and may have announced
this leading in to the summer when electricity usage drops.
While this is a good first step towards regulating tariffs, the
electricity rates for industry and private businesses remain
unchanged at their low levels. In
addition, overall rates in
Tajikistan remain below the cost recovery rate, and this excess
consumption rate is unlikely to significantly reduce usage by
households that already are above the median income. Moreover,
there are serious gaps in collection, and it remains to be seen
how many people will still be able to «beat the system.» END
COMMENT.
SIGNATURE
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 60516
date: 4/14/2006 6:55
refid: 06DUSHANBE704
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO3263
PP RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0704 1040655
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 140655Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7233
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1541
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1556
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1539
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1519
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1469
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1489
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1469
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1372
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1310
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1094
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1527
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1570
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0887
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 8436
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000704
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ELAB, KDEM, TI
SUBJECT: TAJIK JOURNALISTS UNION SUSPENSION NOT A CRACK DOWN ON MEDIA
FREEDOM
1. On April 11 the Ministry of
Justice announced a Dushanbe
district court suspended the Union of Journalists of Tajikistan
for three months. The suspension
is not seen as a threat to
media freedom, but rather a move by the government to oust the
Union’s current chairman, Hayot Davlatov.
2. The Union of Journalists,
formed in 1959, is a
pro-government Soviet relic.
Davlatov, widely considered to be
an «old and corrupt drunk,» has been chairman of the Union for
more than fifteen years. Embassy
sources relay stories of how
he skims money from international grants and even steals from
the Union’s cafeteria money.
Davlatov has been inactive and
ineffective as a Union leader and the government recognizes he
is of no value to them. Embassy
sources say that a possible
candidate to replace him is Kamol Abdurahimov, editor of
«Jumhuryat,» the highest circulation national Tajik newspaper.
[NOTE: It has high circulation
because it’s the newspaper of
the Presidency, and government employees all over the country
are required to read it. END
NOTE.]
3. Although the change in
leadership has been expected for
years, the last straw, claimed the Ministry of Justice, is that
Davlatov has not submitted the required annual report on the
Union’s activities. In February,
the Ministry of Justice’s
Khatlon branch officially threatened to close down the Union of
Journalists in the Khatlon region if it did not make
organizational changes to its board of directors and founding
documents delineating the board’s authority.
4. COMMENT: Post does not view this as a crackdown on
media
freedom because the Union of Journalists of Tajikistan has been
a government puppet organization, rather than seriously
advocating for the rights of journalists. It is likely that the
move is indeed aimed at removing Davlatov due to his inability
to lead the organization and properly follow government orders.
It may also be the result of a personal dispute between the
Khatlon Ministry of Justice and Union branch. However, the
Ministry of Justice’s stated reasons of failure to produce an
annual report and improper organizational structure are similar
to the technical reasons it gives to other public associations
and NGOs it wants to shut down.
It is likely the Union will
resume its activities after three months with a new chairman and
a new name. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 60519
date: 4/14/2006 7:20
refid: 06DUSHANBE705
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
destination: 05DUSHANBE1845|06DUSHANBE576|06DUSHANBE616|06DUSHANBE626
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PP RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0705/01 1040720
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P R 140720Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7234
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1470
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1470
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1520
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1542
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1540
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1311
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1557
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1095
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0888
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1528
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 8437
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000705
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR, EB, S/P
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, ECON, EINV, KCOR, SOCI, TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: WHY MOUNTING CORRUPTION MATTERS
REF: A) DUSHANBE 0576 B) DUSHANBE
0616 C) DUSHANBE 0626 D) 05 DUSHANBE 1845
DUSHANBE 00000705 001.2 OF 002
(U) Sensitive but unclassified.
Please handle accordingly. Not
for public Internet.
1. (U) SUMMARY: Tajikistan’s mounting corruption exacerbates
growing income inequalities and degrades the relatively high
human capital left from Soviet times.
Pervasive corruption
limits local and international investment, distorts donor and
government development strategies, and undermines economic
development. Tajikistan could
drop to a lower growth path,
despite the country’s economic potential, if this problem is not
addressed soon. END SUMMARY.
PERVASIVE CORRUPTION COSTS INCREASING
2. (SBU) Corruption levels in
Tajikistan continue to climb with
economic growth. Although there
are no official corruption
statistics, anecdotal evidence and an upcoming corruption report
by a government think tank indicate the magnitude of the problem
(REFTELS A and B) is growing. The
current bribe, for example,
for getting a railcar of goods through the standards process has
risen from $200 to $400. Getting a
loved one out of prison can
run upwards of $1,000. Moreover,
paying to get a job and even
paying for University grades and degrees are becoming engrained
in society, and there is constant pressure to make payments
years after getting domestic employment.
The typical scenario
involves an uncle getting his nephew a state job; the nephew not
only owes his uncle, but then is responsible for permanently
providing perks to the rest of the uncle’s family, his wife, his
wife’s family, and others.
CORRUPTION DOESN’T TRICKLE DOWN
3. (U) Corruption exacerbates
Tajikistan’s growing income
stratification because the new wealth does not trickle down to
the poor. This hinders
development of a middle class, which is
critical for fair and sustainable growth. The World Bank notes
that while the aggregate poverty level declined in Tajikistan by
18 percentage points between 1999 and 2003, the Gini index that
measures income inequalities has widened from .33 in 1999 to .36
in 2003. This is most notable in
urban areas and Khatlon. In a
country with a GDP per capita of $310, this is extremely
worrisome. The vast majority of
the country’s remittances —
estimated at 50 percent of GDP from the 30 percent of its males
in migrant labor — go towards poverty alleviation, and not
investment.
4. (SBU) The World Bank reports
that the country’s $2 billion
GDP is insufficient to sustain the capital stock inherited from
Soviet times. Even though most
children still go to school,
real education levels have plummeted, especially for girls. In
an April 6 conversation with an international financial official
married to a Tajik woman, he told PolOff he was surprised to
learn when he returned to Dushanbe that many subjects — such as
math — are simply dropped from the curriculum when there are no
teachers. In a visit to a village
an hour out of the northern
city of Isfara, PolOff met the local teacher responsible for
teaching all students in the village school; it was clear the
woman had just graduated from the village school herself.
DISCOURAGES LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT
5. (SBU) Tajikistan’s increasing
corruption limits local and
international investment. This
fundamentally deters small and
medium-sized enterprise growth, which is an integral part of
sustainable economic development.
Local businesses also do not
expand because of the unofficial costs of doing business and
because bribe costs keep escalating (REFTEL C). International
investments are facing similar predicaments (REFTEL D). One
international financial official believes the lack of local
investment opportunities accounts for Dushanbe’s and Kulob’s
DUSHANBE 00000705 002.2 OF 002
residential building boom. A
number of Tajiks who have between
$50,000 and $500,000 see no place to invest it, so they put the
money in the one place where supposedly it cannot be taken away
from them: personal homes. This
has resulted in a
non-productive housing bubble in which new housing prices have
no realistic correlation with income levels. An eye-popping
number of these new homes are veritable McMansions. [COMMENT:
Some new homes are much more than McMansions. The Embassy
Housing Board was recently shown a palatial new compound in
downtown Dushanbe. The owner
pitched it as «perfect for the
U.S. Ambassador.» The price
— $30,000 per month. The owner —
the Minister of Emergency Situations.
END COMMENT]
SKEWS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
6. (SBU) Mounting corruption
distorts economic and social
development strategies.
Accountability is a vital component of
designing effective programs to encourage equitable growth, but
the hidden nature of corruption complicates formulating
effective strategies. This
impacts not only donor programs, but
also President Rahmonov’s policies and may account for his push
for big infrastructure projects (easier to control the money)
rather than truly promoting small and medium-sized enterprise
growth. For example, if it is
common to buy grades or
educational degrees, then employers have little incentive to
begin high-technology businesses and hire skilled local
employees. But, building large
infrastructure construction
brings in foreign expertise and large (but temporary) cash flows
to the economy.
7. (SBU) COMMENT: Sooner or later there will be a public
backlash against corruption.
Tajikistan is approaching a
crucial crossroads, with a relatively high level of human
capital and infrastructure from Soviet times that is rapidly
deteriorating. Mounting pervasive
corruption threatens to
permanently undermine economic development and place the country
on a lower growth path, despite Tajikistan’s economic potential.
Tajik leadership seems to
recognize this danger, but has not
found a good strategy to deal with it.
END COMMENT.
SIGNATURE
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 60623
date: 4/15/2006 11:50
refid: 06DUSHANBE711
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 06DUSHANBE326
header:
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RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 1527
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 0025
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 1477
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1496
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA PRIORITY 0041
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1477
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1373
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1313
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 1530
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 1571
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1097
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0025
—————— header ends —————-
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000711
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/RUS, EB
MANILA PLEASE PASS TO ADB-AMB. SPELTZ
NSC FOR MILLARD, MERKEL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/15/2016
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, ECON, EINV, ENRG, RS, AF, TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: AES STILL IN
TEH GAME FOR SANGTUDA-I?
REF: DUSHANBE 0326
CLASSIFIED BY: Richard E. Hoagland, Ambassador, EXEC, Embassy
Dushanbe.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: National Bank Chairman Murodali Alimardonov
remarked April 14 that AES might still have a role to play in
Sangtuda I or Rogun hydropower stations.
In an elegant two-hour
private lunch at the new National Bank building, Alimardonov
outlined next steps for Tajikistan to integrate its energy
sector and other markets with Afghanistan. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) While hosting Afghan Reconstruction
Group energy and
water senior advisors, Alimardonov noted the Tajik government
and AES would meet in Washington April 19 to continue
discussions, and possibly sign a memorandum of understanding to
form a joint venture to construct 220 kV transmission line to
the Tajik-Afghan border (reftel).
«This will be a main step to bring Afghanistan and Tajikistan
closer together,» he noted.
The second step would be
construction of 500 kV lines along the same route.
3. (SBU) Dost-I Zhum, the
proposed 4000 MW hydropower station
on the Pyanzh River between Afghanistan and Tajikistan,
represented a third major step.
The chairman repeated President
Rahmonov’s off-heard talking points about the irrigation
benefits Dost-i-zhum would bring northern Afghanistan, both for
irrigation and job creation.
4. (C) In an almost off-handed
remark, Alimardonov suggested
AES might still be a part of Sangtuda I or Rogun, contradicting
press reports and EmbOffs’ private conversations with Tajik
energy officials. Ministry of
Energy contacts had previously
confirmed Sangtuda would be exclusively for RAO UES, while
aluminum giant RusAL planned to monopolize Rogun. When pressed,
Alimardonov noted that RAO UES and the international financial
institutions wanted AES to remain a player, but then declined to
give any specifics about this unexpected change in policy. «All
will become clear,» he said.
(NOTE: RAO UES Head Anatoly
Chubais was in Dushanbe the day before. END NOTE.)
5. (SBU) Alimardonov agreed with
the suggestion that Tajikistan
could provide Afghanistan with much-needed technical assistance
in energy and other sectors, and sympathized with the lack of
human capacity of the Afghan Water and Energy Ministry.
Tajikistan has also taken a while to rebuild itself after the
Civil War, he observed; although donors had pressed for
immediate reforms, it was still an ongoing process. He
highlighted the banking sector as an example where Tajikistan
has pursued reforms, with the help of USAID, and can now come
close to meeting international standards.
6. (SBU) Tajik-Afghan
private-sector exchanges would help drive
the bilateral trade relationship.
He listened with interest to
the invitation from leading Afghan businessmen for Tajik
business to display at the Silk Road Trade Show in Kabul May
9-12. The noted the U.S.-financed
bridge connecting Afghanistan
and Tajikistan at Nizhniy Pyanzh would be the true catalyst for
spurring cross-border commerce.
7. (C) COMMENT: If RAO UES and RusAL are actually
DUSHANBE 00000711 002 OF 002
reconsidering AES as a potential partner, this would represent a
significant policy shift from the past six months and a return
to the position a year ago, when AES and RAO UES were
negotiating a partnership for Sangtuda-I. We suspect President
Rahmonov is getting a bit exasperated with his Russian partners’
foot-dragging, and may be looking for alternatives. That
wouldn’t mean, however, that the Kremlin would agree, since it’s
«their» companies and «their» money and
«their» projects, or at
least the reported Russian state budget funds for Sangtuda-I.
We would welcome any information and analysis from Moscow. END
COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 60821
date: 4/18/2006 8:53
refid: 06DUSHANBE722
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
destination: 06DUSHANBE541
header:
VZCZCXRO6071
PP RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0722/01 1080853
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 180853Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7260
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1550
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1565
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1544
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1529
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1483
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1498
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1479
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1375
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1315
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1099
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1532
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1573
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0890
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 8467
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000722
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, KIRF, TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN’S CRA CHAIRMAN ON NEW DRAFT RELIGION LAW:
WHAT’S THE EXCITEMENT?
REF: DUSHANBE 541
DUSHANBE 00000722 001.2 OF 002
1. (SBU) SUMMARY:
EmbOffs met with Chairman of the Committee
on Religious Affairs (CRA), Murodullo Davlatov, on April 12 and
April 14 to discuss an ACCELS/USAID Community Connections
program for religious leaders and a regional religion conference
organized by the Tajik government’s Center for Strategic
Research and supported by USAID.
In the April 14 meeting with
PolOff and USAID, EmbOffs raised the new draft law on religion
(reftel). Davlatov, an atheist
who champions secularization and
stern separation of state and religion, stressed that each
country has the right to create its own laws, taking into
consideration national security,
regardless of international
norms dictated by Western morals and values. Davlatov views
Islamic extremism as a grave security threat and aims to quash
it through his new draft law on religion. However, the draft
has not been received well, even from within his own committee.
END SUMMARY.
VETTING U.S. EXCHANGE PROGRAMS FOR EXTREMISTS
2. (SBU) On April 12, PAS, USAID, and ACCELS met with
Davlatov
to seek permission to advertise the open competition for a
religious leaders Community Connections program in Isfara and
Garm. The meeting quickly turned
from a nuts and bolts program
meeting to a Davlatov sermon on the dangers of sending
«extremists and fundamentalists» to the United States on
exchange programs. He felt PAS
had sent dangerous religious
leaders on last year’s religious leader IVLP, and refused to
work with ACCELS/USAID on this program unless promised that he
could clear program participants in advance. He reiterated the
need to control religious institutions and leaders to ensure
extremism doesn’t present a destabilizing threat to Tajikistan
or the United States.
INTERNATIONAL OPINION NOT NEEDED NOW, SAYS DAVLATOV
3. (U) In the April 14 meeting, Davlatov again
brought up the
role of the United States in fighting terrorism and extremism,
and said the United States should understand Tajikistan’s fight
against extremism. PolOff
acknowledged the need to respect
state sovereignty and reassured him that the United States is
also committed to fighting extremism.
However, we must also
respect and ensure religious freedoms.
PolOff said
international organizations should professionally review the
draft law, to ensure that it complies with international
standards.
4. (U) USAID described its project in Kyrgyzstan
where
international experts are working with the Kyrgyz government to
rewrite the law on religion.
USAID offered the same assistance
to Tajikistan. Davlatov commented
that it is a good idea, but
it is «too early» to bring in outside help.
5. (U) Davlatov expects many revisions to the law
before it
moves forward in parliament. He
noted the possibility of
inviting international advice when the final draft is ready.
Regarding international participation, he asked flippantly,
«What’s the excitement?»
He said that this is only a draft and
like other laws will go through multiple versions. He was also
keen to point out that the CRA already distributed the drafts to
local religious organizations for comment, and they are free to
send it forward to international organizations. He said CRA
would welcome any group’s comments in writing.
CRA EMPLOYEES DISAGREE WITH NEW DRAFT LAW
6. (SBU) Tohir Rashidov, the Deputy Chairman of the
CRA told
PolOff that most of the CRA’s officers disagree with the new
DUSHANBE 00000722 002.2 OF 002
draft law on religion, initiated and drafted by Davlatov. He
said the law was unclear and had many shortages and problems,
specifically pointing to the quotas required to establish a
religious organization as unreasonably high. Rashidov informed
PolOff that the draft has been distributed to the ministries,
but has not yet been sent officially to parliament. In contrast
to Davlatov, Rashidov welcomed international review and was
enthusiastic about having international experts advise the Tajik
government on drafting religious legislation. He pointed out
the importance of educating the public on their religious rights
and wanted as many religious groups to know about the law as
possible.
7. (SBU) COMMENT:
In the April 12 meeting, although EmbOffs
wanted to discuss the new draft law and religious freedom issues
in more detail, Davlatov was anxious to end the meeting.
Perhaps he realized that his brainchild has not been well
received. The unpopular opinion
surrounding the law from the
religious community, political parties, international
organizations, and the CRA internally, means that it is unlikely
the law will pass anytime soon, particularly not prior to the
November presidential election.
Although the government has not
sent the draft to an international audience, it is noteworthy
that the CRA has solicited comments from local religious
organizations of all confessions, instead of attempting to pass
the law as a fait accompli. Post
will continue to seek ways to
question the wisdom of the current approach and call for more
transparency and inclusion in the process. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 60985
date: 4/19/2006 12:15
refid: 06DUSHANBE734
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: SECRET//NOFORN
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO7671
PP RUEHDBU
DE RUEHDBU #0734 1091215
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P R 191215Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7278
INFO RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 8485
—————— header ends —————-
S E C R E T DUSHANBE 000734
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/ITA,
DS/ICI/CI, DS/IP/SA, SCA/CEN, NOFORN,
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/19/2016
TAGS: ASEC, TI
SUBJECT: POSSIBLE IRANIAN SURVEILLANCE — DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN (APRIL
18, 2006)
REF: SIMAS EVENT # 88926 , REPORTED APRIL 18, 2006
CLASSIFIED BY: James Rowe, RSO, RSO, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (c)
1. (S/NF) On April 18, 2006 at approximately 1400
hours, RSO
was contacted by the Surveillance Detection (SD) supervisor who
stated that at approximately 1306 hours local, SD personnel
spotted two male subjects located at Rudaki Avenue and Said
Nosir street intersection (approximately 2 blocks from Embassy’s
outer perimeter) and one subject had a video camera. Subject
was filming in the direction (NW) of School #10 located on Said
Nosir street. Adjacent to this
school is the Tajik Pedagogical
University. RSO COMMENT: Said Nosir Street runs East — West
and is the Embassy’s main vehicle route from Rudaki Avenue to
the Embassy. It Is unknown how
long subjects were in the area
or their exacts routes on foot.
END COMMENT. At approximately
1312 hours, a vehicle mishap occurred on Rudaki with one vehicle
colliding with a child on a bicycle.
Most of the pedestrians in
the area ran towards the accident.
At this point, a White
Nissan Maxima with one male driver, license plate (D001022
Iranian Diplomatic Plate) drove up and the two male subjects
entered the vehicle and departed quickly South on Rudaki Avenue.
2. (S/NF) Subsequently, RSO requested the SD analyst
enter the
information into SIMAS and search the SD database for any
reports on the same license plate number (results were
negative). In addition, RSO
briefed the DCM and passed the
information to SIMO personnel.
3. (S/NF) Note:
On April 19, 2006, RSO was informed of a
fairly new «Embassy of Republic of Iran Office of Cultural
Counselor» located approximately 500 meters from the Embassy. A
drive by indicated that the vehicles parked within the compound,
are Iranian Dip plated. In
addition, RSO was told that on April
18, 2006 a delegation of Iranians visited the Pedagogical
University for about 40 minutes.
4. (S/NF) RSO COMMENT:
RSO is not sure exactly what the two
male subjects were up to; whether they were video taping some
event, or Embassy routes and vehicles.
Post and RSO remain
alert and vigilant and RSO will report any further information
if it becomes available.
5. (U) Please direct any questions to RSO James
«Chance» Rowe.
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 61255
date: 4/21/2006 3:35
refid: 06TASHKENT777
origin: Embassy Tashkent
classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
destination: 06TASHKENT262
header:
VZCZCXRO0058
PP RUEHDBU
DE RUEHNT #0777/01 1110335
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 210335Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5585
INFO RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ALMATY 7816
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 1906
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 2431
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2332
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1416
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TASHKENT 000777
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR INL/AAE (PRAHAR AND HOOKER) AND SCA/CEN
DEPT OF JUSTICE FOR OPDAT (LEHMAN)
ALMATY FOR SCOTT WALDO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, AF, TI, UZ
SUBJECT: INL COORDINATOR/DCM TRIP REPORT: TERMEZ AND
SARIOSIYA
REF: TASHKENT 262
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED — PLEASE TREAT ACCORDINGLY.
1. (U) Summary:
Visiting INL Coordinator and DCM visited
the Surkhandarya Province for inspection and observation of
border post facilities and procedures.
Emboffs assessed the
use of equipment and training provided to Uzbek Customs and
Border Guard officials by USG-funded programs through the
United Nations Office for Drug Control (UNODC) at Afghanistan
and Tajikistan border crossings.
Emboffs also observed
established operations for pedestrians, small vehicles and
trucks attempting to enter or exit Uzbekistan. End Summary.
HAIRATON/FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE (UZBEKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN)
——————————————— ———
2. (U) April 3 Site overview: UNODC is in the final
process
of completing the Friendship Bridge project. The bridge and
land checkpoints are open and the law enforcement agents
assigned to the post function in a professional manner. The
crossing itself is similar to a typical site at the
U.S.-Mexico border and perhaps surpasses many of our own
border checkpoints in terms of technology. The bridge is
open only during daylight hours and has 45 Customs officers
and slightly fewer Border Guard personnel assigned to it.
Personnel rotate every two to three years, and junior
officers are trained by senior officers upon arrival. Uzbek
personnel speak Uzbek and Russian while a few speak Dari and
Pashto to communicate with Afghan counterparts.
3. (U) Construction of the railway platform near the
bridge
was completed in October 2005.
The site is in need of a
crane to unload containers from freight cars, since currently
all suspicious containers that are detected must be sent back
to the Termez station for unloading and inspection. One long
cargo train crossed into Afghanistan during our visit. We
saw more than 60 train wagons, including 25 gasoline rail
cars, waiting to enter Afghanistan.
Uzbek personnel told us
that three to four cargo trains cross to Afghanistan daily;
no passengers are allowed on these trains; and all staff
employed on the trains are Uzbek.
4. (U) We were not given access to the river port;
however,
the UNODC project manager met with port representatives the
day before the visit and was told that it is in need of a
large x-ray machine to scan freight.
He was told that most
narcotics trafficking at the crossing is now done by boat.
The Border Guard and Customs representatives denied us access
to the river port since it was not listed in the diplomatic
note requesting permission to visit, but we intend to visit
the site in the near future.
Interestingly, the river port
falls under direct control of the regional Border Guard and
Customs offices in Termez, not the Airatom Border Guard and
Customs units.
5. (U) All equipment provided by INL has been
delivered and
installed, including the video surveillance equipment,
weighbridges, and forklifts for unloading cargo from trucks.
DTRA WMD portal monitors are also installed at the entry
gates on both sides of the Uzbek bridge checkpoint and appear
operational .
6. (U) Observations: The INL-funded video
surveillance
equipment includes 57 cameras, six of which rotate 360
degrees and have zoom capability.
The surveillance room is
staffed by a duty officer and contains seven monitors that at
the time of the visit were displaying the pedestrian check,
vehicle check, and the front gate.
The information is
recorded digitally and is kept for one month before the
cameras re-record. We saw a long
cargo train crossing the
bridge to Afghanistan on the video during the visit.
7. (U) All pedestrians and vehicle passengers who
cross the
border enter a screening area that contains two x-ray
machines for luggage. Post
representatives reported that
anywhere from 50 to 100 people enter or exit Uzbekistan on a
typical day. Uzbek, Afghan, EU,
the occasional AMCIT, and
international organization staff typically cross, with the
majority of individuals being Afghan citizens.
TASHKENT 00000777 002 OF 003
8. (U) Border Guard representatives told us that the
checkpoint has been effective and few individuals currently
attempt to cross with narcotics.
The agents recently found
several grams of hashish that someone discarded in the middle
of the bridge outside of the surveillance area before
arriving to the checkpoint.
9. (U) A poster is displayed in the screening area
that
lists hashish seizure statistics at the bridge: 1993 ) 1
ton; 1996 ) 4 tons; from 1998 to present, only small amounts
of hashish have been detected.
Other posters showed amounts
of humanitarian shipments by country of origin through
Airatom for 2002 and 2003, but no statistics were available
for 2004 and 2005.
10. (U) Post personnel reported that cargo going to
Afghanistan typically consists of humanitarian assistance,
construction material, food, and oil and is shipped primarily
on the railroad. Cargo from
Afghanistan is typically fruit
and vegetables ) some of it transshipped from Pakistan — and
is shipped primarily by truck or boat.
The railroad cars
typically return empty to Uzbekistan.
11. (U) The vehicle checkpoint contains trenches for
searching underneath trucks. We
observed the full search
procedures of a truck, which entailed a canine narcotics
sniffer, partial unloading of the vehicle, and an underneath
search. The vehicle inspection
area is equipped with four
sets of CT-30 kits and narcotics test equipment (two sets of
each at entry and two at exit).
The buster and fiberscope
that we inspected have clearly been used and had dust and
other residue. Post
representatives said that their
personnel had been trained to use the equipment through
search and detection courses.
12. (SBU) Analysis: The Friendship Bridge is an
impressive
project, both in terms of infrastructure and technology. The
observed search techniques and canine utilization were
thorough and professional. Now
that the bridge and land
checkpoint projects are complete, we should consider focusing
our efforts in Termez on the river port.
An Embassy Tashkent
representative should attend the
ceremony planned by UNODC
in April (Note: Now postponed.
End Note.) to mark the
substantial completion of this multi-donor project and
request to tour the river port prior to arrival. Based on
his/her assessment, INL and the Embassy will consider
allocating a portion of CN pipeline project funding to UNODC
for the purchase of an x-ray machine and other necessary
detection equipment and training for the port.
SARIOSIYA CHECKPOINT (UZBEKISTAN-TAJIKISTAN)
——————————————-
13. (U) April 4 Site overview: The
Sariosiya-Tursunzada
crossing is the most direct way to travel by road from
Tashkent to Dushanbe throughout the year, although this is
still at least a ten hour drive from Tashkent via Termez to
the border. According to Uzbek
personnel, approximately
300-400 people cross each day (pedestrians and passengers).
An estimated 10 to 15 trucks transit the post in an average
day. Government bus services
crossing the border stopped in
1995 and private bus services in 1998, according to Uzbek
personnel. The railroad crossing
is approximately 20 km from
the land crossing and approximately 5-6 cargo trains pass
through in an average day and 2-3 passenger trains each week.
We did not visit the railroad
checkpoint. Uzbek personnel
speak Uzbek, Tajik, and Russian.
14. (U) Observations: Sariosiya (Uzbek side) contains
a
metal detector that all individuals pass through before going
through passport control.
Passport control includes one
booth for entering records into the database. Another window
is used for examining export control documents. The passport
database is updated weekly with the current &black list.8
The database does not store individuals, information, but
rather records the number of people transiting. Information
is saved to CDs when the hard drive is full, but no data is
transferred back to Tashkent.
15. (U) While not as impressive as Termez, the
Sariosiya
checkpoint has all the necessary elements of a professional
TASHKENT 00000777 003 OF 003
checkpoint: trenches for underneath truck searches, CT-30
kits containing busters, fiberscopes, and mirrors, four
canines at the land crossing (seven at the railroad) that
were trained in Tashkent. The
post has an x-ray machine, but
personnel reported that it is broken.
They also reported
that electricity is sporadic and that they are in need of a
more powerful generator. There is
no DTRA WMD portal monitor.
16. (U) Most of the people crossing to Uzbekistan are
Tajiks not requiring visas under the Uzbekistan/Tajikistan
bilateral agreement permitting citizens of each other’s
country residing in border districts to visit the opposite
border district for short periods without a visa. Uzbek
personnel estimated only 8 to 10 percent of the Tajiks
crossing the border had Uzbek visas.
Unlike the
Airatom/Friendship Bridge checkpoint, Sariosiya is open 24/7.
It is particularly busy during
national holidays, such as
Navruz, when many families cross to visit relatives on the
other side.
17. (SBU) Analysis: The post is professional and
generally
well-equipped, but it is in need of an x-ray machine,
generator, and a forklift for unloading trucks. The Tajik
post is located a short distance away, so communication
generally entails simply walking to speak with their
counterparts on the other side.
The Uzbek personnel did not
feel that a communications system with the Tajik side (either
telephone or radios) is necessary since they prefer to walk
the short distance to speak with their counterparts. An
Embassy rep should also visit the railroad crossing to see
checking procedures, as it appears that a substantial number
of passengers and freight also cross via trains, a
traditional means of smuggling narcotics in Central Asia.
PURNELL
